Business School Admissions Testing: GMAT vs. GRE

In the past, if you wanted to go to business school, you had to take the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). However, in recent years, more and more MBA programs have started accepting GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores, too. In fact, as of 2019, over 90% of schools will accept your scores on either exam! How should you choose which one to take? Read on to see which test is your best option!

What are the GMAT and the GRE tests?

The GMAT and the GRE are both tests used for graduate admissions programs. Traditionally, business schools asked for applicants’ GMAT scores, whereas other graduate programs (such as those in the sciences and humanities) used the GRE. However, nowadays more and more business schools will accept either score, and most of them state that they have no preference between which of the two exams you choose to take.

The two tests are largely similar. Both of them take approximately 3½ hours to complete and are taken online. They also both test your abilities in reading, writing, and math. Unlike tests used for undergraduate admissions (i.e. the SAT and the ACT), the GMAT and the GRE are both “computer-adaptive,” meaning that your performance on one question (or section) affects the difficulty of the following questions you receive.

How are they different?

The GMAT and GRE differ in terms of structure, content, and scoring.

The GMAT contains 4 sections (verbal, quantitative, integrated reasoning, and writing), and allows you to take them in your choice of 3 possible orders. The GRE has 5 graded sections (starting with the analytical writing section, followed by 2 verbal reasoning sections and 2 quantitative reasoning sections in any order) and an additional ungraded section.

Both tests are computer-adaptive, but the GMAT adapts by question while the GRE adapts by section. Due to this, the GMAT does not allow you to skip questions or return to previous ones, but the GRE does allow you to do so within the current section.

The verbal sections of the GRE tend to have higher-level vocabulary and more difficult reading comprehension questions than the GMAT, which may make the test more difficult for non-native English-speakers. On the other hand, many people find the quantitative sections of the GMAT to be more difficult than those of the GRE.

The GMAT gives you a composite score between 200 and 800, with an average score of about 556. The GRE gives you 3 separate scores: verbal and quantitative scored on a scale of 130 to 170, and writing from 0 to 6.

Which one should I take?

In general, if you have stronger quantitative skills than verbal skills, you will probably get a better score on the GMAT; if you have better verbal skills than quantitative skills, then the GRE is likely the best choice for you.

Beyond the difference between verbal and quantitative abilities, the structure of the tests might cause some people to do better on one versus the other. For example, the GRE allows you to skip questions and come back to them, while the GMAT does not. The GMAT offers you some choice in deciding the order of sections.

Finally—but perhaps most importantly—you should ensure that the schools you’re applying to do in fact accept either test.

I’m still not sure which test is right for me!

If you’re still undecided, the best way to choose between the tests is to try some practice exams. Both the GMAT and the GRE offer official practice tests so you can get a realistic idea of how you might perform on either one.

You should also remember that you can take both tests! Although there is a cost associated with taking them (around $200 USD for each test), you can certainly try both of them and submit the scores that best reflect your abilities. The more you practice, the better you’ll do!